Parasailing in Hawaii

Back in 2012, I went to Hawaii with my wife to celebrate our second wedding anniversary. On the island, we had such a wonderful time enjoying exciting water sports activities, such as snorkeling and parasailing. Although I was afraid of the water, taking a closer look at the various kinds of fish at Hanauma bay was truly a marvelous experience. On the other hand, riding a parachute hanging from a boat was extremely dreadful for several reasons.

 

Among other things, the altitude I experienced freaked me out. The more the wire linked to the parachute released from the reel, the higher we reached the sky. Pretty soon I regretted doing the activity and blamed the operator, who didn’t seem to care how high his customers were hanging in the air, even as the wind kept drifting us endlessly. I still fear the moment up there when the boat looked like a small dot.

 

Secondly, I had to shiver in the cold air in higher altitude. There was no way to expect that I could go up in the clouds where temperatures would drop drastically. At that time, based on that belief, I was only wearing swimming shorts and a t-shirt. If I were wearing a suit that covered my whole body, I could have stayed a little bit warmer.

 

Last but not least, I felt like I could have drowned to death at the beginning of the takeoff. It seemed like a routine that the seaman drove travellers into the water by continuously releasing the connecting wire when there’s not enough wind to lift it up. Because I was not at all ready to dive into the water, nor was I expecting it, I couldn’t have enough time to hold my breath. I suddenly sank into the ocean and desperately hoped that the misery would come to an end as soon as possible. When the parachute finally dragged me out of the sea, I felt so thankful to god for giving me a second life.

 

Celebrating our second anniversary in the city of Honolulu was blissfully meaningful and cherishable. Unfortunately, however, the memory of parasailing has remained as the worst experience in my life, and it will never be forgotten.